Thursday, May 18, 2006

Disappointing

I've been watching CSI:NY for the latter half of this season, maybe longer. I prefer the original CSI, but the Thursday night time slot is right smack dab in the middle of one of my best writing times. So I get my CSI kicks with CSI:NY on Wednesday night, and it suited me just fine. Until last night.

The episode seemed like it was intended to be a two-parter and someone nixed that idea a bit late in the process and went at the script with a machete. The original murder that started the episode was never resolved. Evidence just sort of showed up with the information they needed but without any clear indication of where it had been found. It reminded me of the first Harry Potter movie in that so much could've been cut to make for a more connected, even experience.

And then there were the gross factual errors. CSI would not be running the show after a bomb goes off, especially if Homeland Security AND the ATF are right there. A large group of folks would not be allowed back into a building unless they were wearing hard hats and some sort of engineering type of person declared the building structurally sound. Two CSI guys would not be allowed to defuse a bomb when a bomb squad had plenty of time and opportunity to get there first (and we know they had plenty of time because after finding the bomb, we cut to the two CSI guys all decked out in protective gear; if you've got the time to get that kind of gear, you've got the time to call in the pros). It seemed they were trying to do strange things with human anatomy when they did a close-up of the abdominal wound. And, cool as it may be, do we REALLY have the tech to turn on someone's cell phone remotely?

Ugh. I know that shows like CSI and Crossing Jordan tend to have some lines blurred when it comes to questioning witnesses, running investigations, etc, but c'mon. I can suspend disbelief only so far.